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Of the 23,154 times that a woman took the test, 22,095 or 95.4 per cent passed.

While for the 67,376 times a male officer took part, 66,619 were passed - or 98.9 per cent.

Two forces of the 43 in England and Wales were unable to provide a breakdown of results by gender, but figures from the rest showed that 757 tests were failed by men, 1.1 per cent of the total taken by male officers, and 1,059 by women, 4.6 per cent of the total.

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The pass rate for the fitness test was 98.9 per cent

National lead for fitness testing, assistant chief constable Jo Shiner, said: "These results show that the vast majority of officers tested were fit and meet the standard required of them to protect the public.

The public want their officers to be fit and able to protect them in the face of danger

National lead for fitness testing, Jo Shiner

"We know from previous years that slightly fewer female officers are passing and the College of Policing guidance on fitness tests has been carefully designed to support officers who are in this position, including advice on positive action measures such as specialised training and mentoring programmes.

"The public want their officers to be fit and able to protect them in the face of danger and these results show they are able to do just that."

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The basic fitness test became compulsory in 2014

The basic fitness test, that became compulsory in 2014, requires officers to run 525 metres in three minutes 40 seconds or less.

Those who fail are allowed "at least two retakes", according to College of Policing guidance.

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Those who fail are allowed at least two retakes

Officers who fail repeatedly can face disciplinary action.

Specialist officers including those in firearms, diving, and air support teams have to undergo more rigorous training.